98、每个人当以哪种方式成为自己的邻舍，这一点从以下对比清楚可知。每个人都应该为自己的身体提供衣食；这必是首要目标，但如此行是为了他能拥有在一个健康身体中的一个健康心智。每个人都应该为自己的心智提供食物，也就是诸如与聪明和智慧有关的那类事物，以便他能处于服务他的同胞、人类社会、国家和教会，因而服务主的状态。凡如此行的人都是在永远照顾自己的幸福。由此明显可知，目的是优先考虑的，因为一切都关注这个目的。这种情况就像一个人盖房子：他先要打地基；但打地基是为了盖房子，盖房子是为了居住。人若把自己当成其第一位的邻舍，就像那视地基，而非房子和居住为目的人；而事实上，居住才是首先和终极的目的，房子和地基仅仅是达到这个目的的一个手段。
98、下面举例说明，人如何才能成为他自己的友邻。每个人应该为他的身体提供食物和衣服。这必须置于首位，但目的是为了有健全的心灵和身体。进而，每个人都需要滋养自己的心灵，也就是增益才能，丰富智慧。这样做的目地，是更好地服务他的同胞、社会、国家和教会，也就是侍奉主。人如此做就是为自己的永生积福。因此很明显，人的所作所为都有一个核心目标，其它一切都从属于它。这就像建造房子：首先要打好地基，打地基是为了建房子，而建房子是为了居住。人若把善待自己如友邻放在首要的位置，他就像建房者，忽视了建房和居住的重要性，却把打地基做为最终目标。然而，从头至尾居住才是真正的首要目标，而打地基和建房子只是实现目标的手段。
98. The following example may show how we are to be neighbors to ourselves. We all need to provide our bodies with their food and clothing. This needs to come first, but the object is to have a sound mind in a sound body. 1Further, we all need to provide food for our minds, meaning things that build our intelligence and wisdom, but the object is that our minds will be able to be of service to our fellow citizens, our community, our country, the church, and therefore the Lord. If we do this we are providing for our well-being to eternity. We can see from this that what should come first is the purpose for which we do something, because everything depends on that.
It is also like building a house. First we need to lay the foundation, but the purpose of the foundation is the house, and the purpose of the house is living in it. If we think being neighbor to ourselves is actually the most important thing, this is like regarding not the house or living in it but the foundation as our final goal. But in reality, from start to finish, living in the house is the true goal, and the house and its foundation are only means to this end.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano, "a sound mind in a sound body" originated in Satires 10:356 of Juvenal (Decimus Junius Juvenalis, who wrote around 120-140 C. E.). It was as much a common saying in Swedenborg's time as in our own. [RS, SS]
98. Here is how we should love ourselves: We should all provide food and clothing for our bodies before we do anything else. But our reason for doing this should be to have a healthy mind in a healthy body. We should all provide food for our minds too — meaning intelligence and wisdom. The reason for this is to put ourselves in a position to work for our fellow citizens, human society, our country, and religion — which means working for the Lord. When we do this, we are doing a good job of providing for ourselves to eternity. So you can see that the important thing is the reason we provide for ourselves, since this reason is what we have in mind in everything we do.
As an analogy, when we build a house, we put the foundation in first. But the foundation is built for the house, and the house is built to live in. If we think loving ourselves is the most important thing, it is like thinking the foundation is the purpose of our building, rather than the house, or having a place to live. Actually, having a place to live is our primary, underlying purpose — the house with its foundation is just a way to achieve this.
98. In what way each person ought to be his own neighbour can be established from the following comparison. Everyone ought to provide his body with food and clothing. This must come first, but with the intention of having a healthy mind in a healthy body. Everyone ought also to provide his mind with food, such things as have to do with intelligence and wisdom, in order that they may be in a condition to be of service to one's fellow citizens, society at large, one's country and the church, and so to the Lord. Anyone doing this provides well for himself to eternity. It is plain from this that the end in view must take priority, for everything has regard to that.
This is also like the situation of someone building a house. One must first lay the foundation, but the foundation must be for the house, and the house for living in. Anyone who thinks being his own neighbour comes first is like a man who regards the foundation as the end in view, not the house and living in it. Yet living in it is the first and last end in view, and the house with its foundation is only a means to that end.
98. In what way, however, every one ought to be a neighbour to himself, may appear from the following comparison. Every one ought to provide food and raiment for his body: this must come first, yet for the purpose that a sound mind maybe in a sound body. Every one ought also to provide its food for his mind; that is, he ought to furnish it with the things belonging to intelligence and wisdom, so that it may be fitted thereby to be of use to his fellow-citizens, to human society, to his country, to the Church, and thus to the Lord. He who does so, takes care of his wellbeing to eternity. From this it is plain that the first thing is where the end is, for the sake of which [a thing is to be done]; for all things have respect to the end. The case also is like that of a man who when building a house first lays a foundation: but the foundation must be for the house, and the house for the purpose of habitation. He who looks upon himself as his neighbour in the first place, is like him who regards the foundation, and not the house or habitation, as the end; when yet habitation is the first and ultimate end: and the house together with the foundation, is only a means towards the end.
98. But how every one ought to be his own neighbor may appear from this comparison. Everyone ought to provide food and raiment for his body; this must be the first object, but it should be done to the end that he may have a sound mind in a sound body. And everyone ought to provide food for his mind, namely, such things as are of intelligence and wisdom; to the end that it may thence be in a state to serve his fellow-citizens, human society, his country, and the church, thus the Lord. He who does this provides for his own good to eternity. Hence it is evident that the first is where the end is on account of which we should act, for all other things look to this. The case is like that of a man who builds a house: he first lays the foundation; but the foundation is for the house, and the house is for habitation. He who believes that he is his own neighbor in the first place, is like him who regards the foundation as the end, not the house and habitation; when yet the habitation is the very first and ultimate end, and the house with the foundation is only a means to the end.
98. Sed quomodo quisque sibi proximus esse debet, constare potest ex hoc simili: -Quisque prospicere debet corpori suo victu et amictu; hoc primum erit, sed ob finem ut mens sana sit in corpore sano; et quisque prospicere debet menti suo victu, nempe talibus quae sunt intelligentiae et sapientiae, ob finem ut illa inde in statu sit serviendi concivi, societati humanae, patriae et ecclesiae, ita Domino; qui hoc facit, is sibi prospicit bene in aeternum: inde patet quod primum sit, ubi finis propter quem, nam ad illum spectant omnia. Se quoque hoc habet sicut qui construit domum; primo ponet fundamentum sed fundamentum erit pro domo, et domus pro habitatione: qui credit sibi proximum esse primo loco, is similis est ei qui spectat fundamentum ut finem, non domum et habitationem; cum tamen habitatio est ipse finis primus et ultimus, ac domus cum fundamento est modo medium ad finem.